IVF has changed the face of reproductive medicine, holding out promise to infertile couples. Among its more divisive uses is the gender selection feature, which lets parents decide whether to have a boy or a girl. The technique uses genetic testing after conception and screening prior to implantation. Some go in for it to avoid genetic illnesses, but many others do it for family balancing. This article discusses the science of in vitro fertilization for gender selection, how it is done, and the ethical issues involved.
IVF and Embryo Formation
IVF is a series of steps involving the eggs being harvested from a woman’s ovaries, sperm-fertilized in the lab, and returned to the uterus. The process involves:
- Ovarian Stimulation– Medication in the form of hormonal pills is taken to cause the woman to produce several eggs.
- Egg Retrieval– Mature eggs are retrieved through a minor surgical procedure.
- Fertilization– The eggs are mixed with sperm in the laboratory.
- Embryo Culture– The fertilized eggs grow into embryos within a few days.
- Embryo Transfer– A chosen embryo is transferred to the uterus.
If gender selection is to be done, genetic testing pregnancy is conducted at the embryo culture stage prior to transfer.
Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) for Gender Selection
The major technique of gender selection in IVF is Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT), which analyzes embryos prior to implantation. There are various kinds of PGT:
- PGT-A (Aneuploidy Screening): Tests for chromosomal defects and the sex of the embryo.
- PGT-M (Monogenic Disorder Testing): Tests for a particular genetic disorder.
- PGT-SR (Structural Rearrangements): Tests for chromosomal rearrangements.
For choosing gender, PGT-A is primarily employed. This examination detects the embryos with XX (female) or XY (male) chromosomes, and parents can choose the sex they desire prior to implantation.
How Genetic Testing Identifies an Embryo’s Sex
Following fertilization, embryos are cultured in the laboratory for approximately five days until they are at the stage of the blastocyst. The time when a few cells from every embryo are biopsied and evaluated for their genetic composition.
The testing procedure goes in the following manner:
- A few cells are extracted from the outer shell of the embryo.
- The DNA is amplified and studied for patterns in chromosomes.
- Embryos of the desired gender are detected.
- Only those embryos of the desired gender are implanted into the uterus.
The procedure provides nearly perfect accuracy when it comes to identifying the gender of an embryo, thus becoming the most authentic procedure for gender selection through in vitro fertilization.
Why Choose Gender Selection
There are several reasons couples opt for gender selection:
- Preventing Genetic Disorders
Certain genetic diseases are sex-linked, meaning they predominantly affect one gender. For example, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and hemophilia primarily impact males. Gender selection helps parents avoid passing these conditions to their children.
- Family Balancing
A majority of parents prefer to have a child of the same sex so that the family balance can be maintained. An example is the case of two boys and parents wanting a daughter.
- Personal and Cultural Preferences
A child of certain gender is strongly preferred in certain cultures. While there are some ethical controversies involved, most of the fertility centers value individual wishes within legal as well as ethical standards.
Those in favor believe gender selection:
- Empowers parents to make knowledgeable reproductive decisions.
- Avoids serious sex-related genetic disorders.
- Brings psychological and emotional fulfillment to families.
Success Rates of IVF with Gender Selection
IVF by itself has an overall success rate of 40-50% per cycle, varying with maternal age and embryo quality. But when gender selection is utilized using genetic testing in pregnancy, the accuracy of sex determination is well over 99%.
Success depends on:
- The availability of healthy embryos.
- Reproductive health and age of the mother.
- Quality of the IVF clinic and laboratory techniques.
The Future of Gender Selection and IVF
- Advances in reproductive technology keep unfolding. Future directions are:
- Non-invasive genetic screening, avoiding the requirement for embryo biopsy.
- CRISPR gene editing for preventing disease (although extremely controversial).
- More access to IVF and genetic screening, making it cheaper and more available.
Conclusion
IVF gender selection is a technologically sophisticated procedure that gives couples the choice of selecting their child’s gender with great accuracy. Embryos are evaluated prior to implantation through preimplantation genetic testing and only those with the desired sex are implanted. Although the test is beneficial to avoid genetic conditions and attain familial balance, its ethics are still questionable. While reproductive technologies keep evolving, increased debates regarding availability, ethics, and regulation are expected to contour the future for in vitro fertilization for choosing gender.
